


Chaotic pendulum

by Alendarkstar



Category: Disney Duck Universe, Disney Ducks (Comics), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28503630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alendarkstar/pseuds/Alendarkstar
Summary: Donald believed that the problems ended with the lunar invasion, but with the identity of the agents in danger and new missions in the Agency, it will not take long to discover how wrong he is.
Relationships: Bentina Beakley & Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck & Webby Vanderquack, Bentina Beakley & Donald Duck & Scrooge McDuck & Launchpad McQuack & Webby Vanderquack, Della Duck & Dewey Duck & Donald Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck & Scrooge McDuck & Webby Vanderquack, Donald Duck/Kay K (Disney: DoubleDuck), José Carioca & Donald Duck & Panchito Pistoles, José Carioca/Panchito Pistoles
Kudos: 10





	1. Report

It was so sudden the way Donald woke up that he ended up falling out of the hammock. He brought his hand to his chest in an attempt to regulate his breathing and only felt calm when he was sure he was in his room, in the middle of the boat house.  
He brought his hand to the bruised area and rubbed it in an attempt to lessen the pain. He stood up and lay down on his hammock. Part of him knew he couldn't go back to sleep. The memories were too fresh and in a few hours he should relive it when he made a report of what happened.  
He knew it was a dream, but he could feel a deep heat run through his body, the same sensation he had experienced during his return to Earth. The pressure in his lungs made it difficult for him to breathe and the fear it caused made regulating his breathing difficult.  
Everything felt so real. The pain of traveling on a faulty rocket, the fear of knowing that his family was in danger. Every moment felt like an eternity and the landing wasn't much better. He crashed hard against a desert island. His arm and leg were bleeding so he had to improvise some bandages with his shirt. It was not the first time that he had to do it, during his time in the war he had to deal with many hemorrhages and with the certainty that he could die at any moment.  
It was like I was living it again.  
The oxy-chew had kept him nourished during his time on the moon, and he could have done so longer if it hadn't been for he lost it as soon as he stepped onto the island. The pain and nausea caused by a turbulent journey had made him empty all the contents of his stomach. Getting more was not an option, he had taken more than half the box and what was left was still on the moon.  
He try to escape. His first option was to rebuild the ship, but there wasn't much that could be done with it, even if Donald knew how to fix it. During the trip he had lost several pieces and those that remained were burned in a greater part which made many of them useless.  
After several unsuccessful attempts he tried smoke signals and yelling, especially the latter. His lungs had saved him in the past when he was shipwrecked on an island with his nephews and a tourist. All he did was irritate his eyes and hurt his throat. He screamed so much that he lost his voice temporarily.  
At first he didn't know he was on an island. After bandaging his wounds he tried to find a civilization. Walking was difficult, the journey had left him weak and his days in that place did nothing to improve his situation. He couldn't remember the last time he ate anything other than oxy-chew and he hadn't been able to sleep either. Her aching body and memories of what had happened made falling asleep impossible.  
He found some watermelons. Eating it would have been a good idea and he was about to, but something about this was familiar and Donald could have sworn he heard his ask him not to eat it. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision without getting anything to really change. He was planning to open the watermelon when he heard the same voice again, on occasion he told him that you will listen to his friend.  
He'd been alone so long that he wanted to believe it wasn't his imagination or lack of sanity giving him a hard time. The watermelon told him he was his friend and his voice was familiar. He tied the smaller watermelons together so they could be seen as ears, drew a face for it, and as soon as he finished, gave it a name.  
He walked for several days before reaching the coast. It would have taken less time had it not been for the pain she was experiencing. The first days were the most difficult, the aftermath of his landing was still fresh and his body needed to recover, time that he felt he did not have.  
He tried building a raft. He hit the palms with his head only managing to increase his pain. He thought of Lunaris, what he planned to do to his family and what he could do to Penumbra. She had helped him and he knew that it made her look like the enemy of his people. His face was dyed red and he used that fury to knock down the palm tree.  
After building it he put it in the sea and could not go far. It sank before it could leave shore. Desperate, Donald tried to swim. It only got several of his wounds reopening and the tide to carry him back. He began to scream, it was not the first time that he had been shipwrecked on an island and, he hoped that, like the previous time, someone would hear his request for help.  
"Cheer up," he said, holding up the watermelon, "Uncle Scrooge got your message, I bet your family must be looking for you."  
-Are you sure? Donald asked, and this time he used his own voice.  
"Yes and do you know why?" Because they love you.  
Even though it was Donald speaking through the watermelon, the duck felt his eyes water. He missed his family so much and knowing that Della was back made him want to come back stronger. It had been more than a decade since he last saw her, he had even given her up for dead.  
He flopped down on the sand and for the first time in days he had no nightmares. His body ached, his stomach was demanding food and the place was uncomfortable, but the fatigue he felt was even greater. It was three days before he woke up. When he opened his eyes he didn't feel better. All his problems were still there and he had less and less time before the invasion.  
He brought his hands up to his chin, checking that a beard had started to form. He did the same with his head, checking that his hair was long and curly. He decided to take a bath before he started looking for something to create something eye-catching enough to allow him to be found.  
"You should take a bath first," Donald spoke through the watermelon, "it will make you feel better."  
Donald placed his clothes on the sand and Mickey watermelon on them. He entered the sea and once the water covered his feathers he began to complain about the lack of cleaning products. Occasionally he was silent, as if he expected her to answer him. Every time he answered it was as if he were having a conversation with someone.  
"You're right, you need a bath too."  
Donald came out of the sea and took the watermelon. Occasionally the tide caused him to lose the fruit, but he always managed to get it back. After a while, the duck decided to get out of the sea, too tired after fighting the tide and struggling to keep a fruit that insisted on sinking.  
The days passed and Donald lost track of time. At first he had been too busy to think about the past of time and then he had no way to record the days or weeks he had been on the island or the time that had elapsed since the day he was supposed to have boarded the cruise, but he supposed which must be more than a month.  
"Your family must be so worried, looking everywhere for you," he said while using the watermelon as a puppet, "I bet they haven't stopped looking for a minute."  
"I hope Uncle Scrooge is looking after the children and that Della doesn't put them in too much danger."  
"You are so noble, there is no doubt that I was right to choose you as my best friend."  
Donald brought the watermelon up to his cheek and made the sound of kisses. It was something he used to do whenever he felt distressed, something that happened quite often lately. Finding out that his family never looked for him or noticed his absence made him feel angry and if he weren't in the middle of an explosion he would have let his uncle know how upset he was.  
The moonvasion ended and Donald did not speak about it. Everyone was too busy celebrating and he was no exception. A party sounded so good after what he had been through, but not as good as having access to a feast, especially after eating only sand and seawater for a long time.  
Sleeping didn't seem possible so Donald went to the kitchen and found a beer in his fridge. He only had three beers left, but he thought it was enough. He wasn't planning on taking more than two and hoped he would be able to buy more the next time he visited the market. I had some savings and hoped to get a job as soon as possible. He was paid at the Agency, but it was so little that it could hardly be called a salary.  
After drinking the first can of beer, he decided to email some resumes. The repair of the boat house was almost finished and the children had been fine during his absence so he did not think that time was an issue.  
With an hour to go before his meeting at the Agency, he decided it was time to prepare. He took a quick bath and made himself a breakfast just as quickly. He left some pancakes in the cupboard, his nephews used to have breakfast at the mansion and he did not think that this was the exception, but he preferred to be prepared.  
The first thing he did when he arrived at the Agency was to park his car in a safe place. He was quite convinced that the traffic officer had it against him and he had not given him reason to think otherwise. He went down the sewer, despite the time that had passed since the last time he was in the building, he still knew the way.  
"Long time no see, DD!" It is good to have him back with us.  
"I've been busy, Liz, a lot of ... things have happened."  
"Right, who would say that there was intelligent life on the moon?"  
"No one, I suppose." Donald remembered being on the moon before he got caught in the Spear of Selene. He never heard from the inhabitants despite the time he spent negotiating with the Evronians who used that satellite as a temporary base of operations.  
"Do you think we are in good agreement with them?" After what they did, I don't think the authorities will sit idly by.  
"It was all Lunaris's fault, he made her believe that we were his enemies and that we planned to destroy his home."  
"They all left as soon as he said he would destroy Earth," Liz commented thoughtfully, "but I don't think an apology is enough."  
Donald chose to omit that this was not true. All of them, although embarrassed by their actions, were curious about the Earth and wanted to know it better, not as invaders but as tourists and Della allowed it. For a week Scrooge McDuck took them on his adventures with the children.  
"I guess that's where I come in." I was on the moon and saw what Lunaris did. I think a war right now is unnecessary, even if we could defeat them. Not to mention that it is thanks to one of them that I am still alive.  
Donald remembered Penumbra. She had betrayed her people to protect them all, the people of Earth and the people of the Moon. He befriended him and helped him escape. Guilt filled him as he remembered how Lunaris had electrocuted her after confirming that she was against him.  
"Her name is Penumbra and she is a great friend." She saved us all and thanks to her I was able to escape from the Moon.  
"It must be horrible to be a prisoner in such a place. How did you manage to survive so long without the proper equipment?"  
—Oxy-Chew was left on the ship, it's a gum that Gyro invented that provides nutrients, oxygen, and a rich black licorice flavor for months.  
"Gizmo would like to study her."  
"I don't know if Gyro agrees," Donald commented, remembering how suspicious the scientist could be about his inventions, "but I'll try to get you a sample, I lost everything I had when I got to the island."  
"Head H is waiting for you," Liz said suddenly, she had instructions to let the agent in as soon as he arrived, but she had been distracted talking with him.  
Donald said goodbye to Liz before heading to Head H's office. Despite the time that had passed since the last time since he had been there, he could perfectly remember how to get there. On more than one occasion he tried to quit, but there was always something that tied him to that place.  
"Here I am, I hope I'm not late," was what Donald asked as soon as he walked through the door of Head H.  
Head H was not alone in the office. Kay K was sitting next to him with a cell phone in her hands. She seemed distracted, but Donald knew her well enough to know that she was aware of everything that was going on around her, including her arrival. Their gazes fell on him when they heard him arrive.  
"Half an hour late," Kay K replied, somewhat annoyed.  
"Sorry about the delay ... things happened."  
Donald hoped an apology would suffice. It had served him well in the past, and while Fethry scolded him when he suggested using it when acting selfishly, he hoped it would work for him at the time as well. Saying he got distracted talking to Liz or talking about his nightmares didn't seem like the best options. Although that was not the only reason for his delay.  
"It doesn't matter," Head H interrupted. What do you have to tell us about the lunar invasion?  
"It was all Lunaris's doing, he was obsessed with destroying Earth and convinced everyone that Earth was planning an invasion."  
-How do you know?  
"Because I was on the moon, ... things happened and I got to the moon using my sister's rocket." Penumbra and I stumbled upon the Lunaris war chamber and saw it. He was observing the Earth for more than ten years, studying us and looking for our weaknesses. I tried to communicate, but the transmission did not come and then I was shipwrecked on a desert island.  
Donald didn't want to talk about his stay on the desert island. He also didn't want to talk about his stay on the moon, but he knew that in that case he had no other choice. He was sure that if the Agency was interested in what happened it was because it was something important and that, given his position, he was the only one who could intercede on behalf of the inhabitants of the moon.  
"Give me a report, we need to bring all the nations together to make a decision."  
"A written report?" Donald asked, wishing he had misheard.  
"Yes. We need to present it to the assembly and have an explanation of how long you were missing. And make sure you don't omit any details."   
"Could do it."   
"We'll call you in case it's necessary," Head H continued, "for now you can go and write the report, but I advise you to be ready, we could need you at any time."  
Donald said goodbye to Head H and Kay K, but did not go home. Instead he went to a copier and printed several resumes. He had been working on Scrooge McDuck's vault before he paid for his cruise and although he knew his uncle would have no problem getting his coins polished he hoped to find a better job as he had more free time.  
Moving out of the pool was also one of his plans. The reason he hadn't changed his address was because he planned to return. But with Della's return he wasn't so sure. He was sure that the children would choose to stay with her and that the mansion was more pleasant than their boat house, especially for Louie who had always dreamed of living in a mansion.  
He had learned that Scrooge had paid what he owed Jones for what he considered a priority to get the money. Jones could be aggressive at collecting, but Scrooge McDuck was worse. He would use those debts and make them grow from taxes. Not counting what he would do. He couldn't turn down any job and he was sure it would make him go on dangerous missions or polish his coins relentlessly. He already owed him a lot of money for his stay at the mansion and he didn't want that figure to continue to rise.  
The last stop he made before going home was a gold buying and selling. Storkules had left him some pieces from before he left, and he was hoping to get some cash for these. They were made of good material and beautifully designed so he was sure they would help him with his plans for the future.  
Upon returning home, he began to write the report. After five minutes he wanted to stop, but it was ten minutes before he paused to eat. She had nothing prepared, but she did have pancake ingredients, so she decided to cook some. He had a few when he realized he was not alone. Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby, Scrooge, and Della were at the door.  
"Go wash your hands first, it's still a long time before you're ready."  
Donald didn't know how they did it, but he had a suspicion that the kids, his sister and uncle had a power that let them know when he made pancakes. Otherwise I couldn't understand how it was that they always came every time I cooked. He looked at the mixture regretfully, knowing that he would have to prepare more and that it would be even longer before he could eat anything. He loved his family, but sometimes like that all he wanted to do was rest.  
Although the children were the first to arrive in the kitchen, Scrooge McDuck was the first to eat. He took one of the stacks of pancakes and made his way to the table. Della was the second to do so. Donald had prepared quite a few so neither she nor the children had to wait. Donald made his way to the dining room several minutes later when he finished cooking and cleaning the kitchen.  
"I thought you'd never show up," Della said by way of greeting before taking one of his pancakes from her brother.  
"I had to clean the kitchen first." Donald pushed his plate aside in an attempt to save the remaining pancakes.  
For several minutes they both had a small fight over food and this only ended when Donald saw a space available next to Louie and quite far from his sister. He loved her, but he also wanted breakfast, and he knew his pancakes weren't safe near her.  
"Della, you should accompany me to therapy."  
"There's nothing wrong with me," Della replied, her brother suggesting something like that made her feel offended.  
"There is nothing wrong with therapy." I'll go too. Spending so much time in isolation leaves scars and some professional help is not bad. Della, I saw Dew Dew Night, if you admitted that you can't see yourself in the mirror why not admit that you need help?  
The triplets looked away somewhat uncomfortably. They had noticed those little details in their mother, but they didn't know how to tell her, especially when she looked so upset.  
"Donald is right," Scrooge McDuck commented, and for a few seconds no one knew what to say. It was strange that Scrooge agreed with something with his nephew - you keep carrying that gum everywhere and don't think I haven't noticed how you study the places we go or that you prefer to avoid crowded places.  
Donald thanked Scrooge with a look for the support. She knew her sister would not accept so easily and, she hoped, her uncle's words would help her admit that she had a problem. He had spent less than a year lost and yet the aftermath was still fresh, sometimes preventing him from leading a normal life.  
Part of him feared Della would misunderstand his intentions. Since they were little they used to argue frequently and he had no doubt that this was no exception. The first time he had been suggested to take therapy, he had taken it as an insult and only accepted for his nephews. They needed him and he must prove that he was fit to care for them.  
"It's not the same," Della complained. I am not crazy.  
"I thought the same before going to therapy, it seemed like a waste of time, but I knew that if I didn't do it, three ducklings would be affected. Let's make a deal, come with me to a session and if you feel like you don't need it, I won't insist again."   
"It is a promise?"   
"Yes."   
"In that case, I'll go, but you'll have to eat your words."  
Della got up from her seat and stretched out as far as she could to take part of her brother's pancakes. Donald gave her an annoyed look as he put what was left on his plate out of reach of his sister. Although he was upset, he also felt nostalgic, seeing Della act like that made him remember life before Selene's spear.  
After washing the dishes, he decided to continue with the report. On that occasion he did not pause and when he finished it was late at night. Several times he wondered if he should talk to Penumbra, but he dismissed it, considering that he could give him more information and that Della could find out.  
He fell asleep when only half the report was written. He did not want to write much and did not consider it necessary to write about the technology of the moon or its gold. The last thing he wanted was to give them a reason to conquer the moon. He put special emphasis on Lunaris and how she had deceived all her people. He hoped that this would be enough to prevent retaliation.


	2. Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donald travels to Brazil to fulfill an Agency mission.

Donald had no plans to accompany his family on one of his adventures, yet he was in the middle of one trying to find a way to defuse the trap that separated him from his family. He loved adventure, he could not deny it because it was something that was in his blood, but it was difficult for him to enjoy it when he could only think about the safety of his family or feel belittled by being used as cannon fodder.  
He took a deep breath before starting the race that would take him to the other side of the road, where the lever was that would make the trap stop. He knew he had to hurry if he wanted to prevent the place from filling up with water. He ran, trying to dodge the darts and the flames of fire. He managed to avoid most, but when he pulled the lever, a quarter of his feathers were burned and a needle dangled from his arm. He pulled it back trying to pretend it didn't hurt. It was not difficult, although he had not obtained the best results in anti-torture training, he could say that he was good at hiding the pain, something that had served him both in his life as a secret agent and in his life as a superhero.  
"Good work, duck," Penumbra told him, showing him the spear he had taken.  
At that time Donald believed that the alien was selfish, an idea that he discarded when he saw her use the spear to fight the protector of the cave and protect her family. He hadn't had the chance to watch her fight in the past, but at that moment he could confirm that she was a warrior.  
He decided to join the fight. Anger was beginning to cloud his mind and he could not stay without doing anything, especially when he knew that this creature had intentions to seek his family and make them pay for having entered his domain.  
The fight ended and the two reunited with the rest of the group. Neither had noticed the danger they had found themselves in as all their attention was focused on the treasure in the cave. The jewels and paintings that the treasure contained were beautiful and impossible to ignore. They gathered the treasure and left almost immediately.  
The next day Donald found several feathers scattered over his hammock and remembered why he had left. He was supposed to be on a cruise ship, resting, not in a cell on the moon or in the middle of an island. With all the things that happened, he hadn't had time to rest or relax, as the doctor had recommended.  
He thought about telling his family that he was going fishing when he noticed they were gone. It didn't take her long to find out why, as Mrs. Beakley was very kind when he told her that they had gone out to a party at which Scrooge McDuck was the guest of honor.  
Donald thanked for the answer and, with the help of Mrs. Beakley, pulled his houseboat out of his uncle's pool. At that time he had intentions to return and was only planning to go fishing. It didn't bother him that Scrooge hadn't taken him into account for the party, he had stopped inviting him to such events since he threw a drink at the Indian ambassador and Scrooge had been unable to do business with that country for over a year. His intention had been to wet Gladstone, something that did not less serious what he did.  
It was several hours before he could catch anything and he was even asleep when the rod began to move. He pulled hard and great was his joy to find a large trout. He placed it in the bucket beside him and threw the rod back into the sea, this time catching a rather worn boot. He threw it without paying attention to what he was doing and continued fishing. By the end of the day, he had gotten a not inconsiderable quantity of fish and a call from the Agency. He brought his boat to the dock and rushed to get a taxi to the meeting point.  
He greeted Liz and headed to Head H's office, this time Kay K wasn't waiting.  
"There have been reports of people from the moon in various tourist attractions. How can you explain it?"  
"In what places?"  
"I think we both know the answer to that question well. I'll be blunt, why did you omit that the people on the moon didn't return right away?"   
"Because you didn't ask," Donald answered. He knew it was useless to deny it and he couldn't think of any excuses.  
"That is no justification. Your duty is to inform the Agency of all his movements."   
"I can assure you that they are not planning anything against Earth and, hard to believe, they are no threat. They are peaceful people who were curious about a planet that is unknown to them and about which they had only heard from stories. Attacking them would only have served to prolong a conflict that lost its reason for being."  
"He's not the only one who thinks that way," Head H commented, "I'll let it pass for now." He has been an exemplary agent for several years and we hope that he will continue to be so for longer.  
"I can retire?"   
"Not without first receiving the details of your next mission."  
Double Duck couldn't help but show his disappointment. For a moment he believed that the danger had passed, but listening to Head H, he could sense that, although his position in the Agency would not be compromised, he would not be able to dedicate himself to looking for a new job as he had planned.  
"Don't worry, it's a simple mission. You should only give this envelope to Agent B-Black."   
"Wouldn't it be better to mail it?"  
"And run the risk of someone outside the Agency taking it or a mix-up with the packages? Unthinkable, especially when we have agent DoubleDuck to do it."   
Those words were not enough to convince Donald, but the duck knew that he did not gain anything by insisting, so he preferred to accept the mission. He mentally told himself that a quiet mission might be what he needed. Deep down he knew that things with the Agency were never easy.  
"Where should I deliver it?"  
"In Bahia, Brazil."  
Hearing where he was headed made Double Duck's bad mood go away. Despite knowing he had a mission to accomplish, he hoped to spend some time with his friends, Panchito and José. Both had told him that they would be in that place so it seemed obvious to them that he would see them.  
Head H began to give him the details of the mission. The way he spoke it seemed to be a simple mission, a routine process. But experience had taught him that even the simplest missions could turn into a high-risk situation at the least expected moment or be the cover of some murky matter.  
Donald said goodbye and headed for the boat house. As much as he wanted to see his friends again, he was grateful that he had to leave until the next day. He had a date with Jones that day and Della had promised to go with him. She knew her sister didn't usually back down, but she also knew that she was used to doing what she wanted and that her misadventure on the moon hadn't changed that.  
"I thought you wouldn't make it." There was no reproach in Della's voice, just hope that she didn't have to attend therapy.  
"Something came up unexpectedly."  
"A secret mission?" Della asked, and Donald was terrified. He was more than sure he'd never talked to his sister about his job as a secret agent or the Agency with his sister.  
"If by secret mission you mean looking for work, yes, I was on one."  
Donald didn't know how to interpret Della's gaze. He knew she was confused, but he didn't know if it was because he had been able to see through her lie or because he felt that he was the one who was missing something.  
"I've been talking to Agent 22 and I've been thinking I want to go back to the world of espionage."  
"You know it's very dangerous." Donald knew his sister was strong, but also what being a secret agent entailed and he didn't want his sister to be surrounded by people who might betray her. You never know who to trust and when you do, you find out that you can't trust anyone ... at least that's what I saw in the James Pond movies.  
Donald mentally complained about that slip. He knew Della well enough to know that danger had never stopped her and that she was good at analyzing people. He just hoped she didn't remember that he was not a fan of James Pond and that he had never been able to see one of his movies to the end without falling asleep.  
Had he not been so concerned about his sister's plans and the possibility of being discovered, he would have noticed that Della mentioned an agent and that it was not the first time he had heard that name.  
Della was silent for a few moments and looked at her brother carefully. That made him feel annoyed. He had the feeling that she was hiding something from him and he certainly had a suspicion that it was something that would cause him trouble. He wanted to believe in her, but the memory of Selene's Lance was still fresh in his memory and she had no reason to stop seeing her as the reckless girl who would do anything for an adventure.  
"You always fall asleep watching those movies."  
"We better go to therapy."  
Donald knew it was useless to deny it. His sister used to take advantage of it to draw on his face, most of the time a mustache, other times less decorous things and nothing typical of a young lady. He preferred to change the subject in the hope that Della would forget him the way she did everything that bored him.  
Jones initially disagreed with caring for the two brothers together, but they were so insistent that he had no choice. After several minutes he was convinced that it was the right thing to do. Della's tension began to ease, something that wouldn't have happened without her twin, and she was more willing to cooperate.  
"I used to videos my family," Della commented, "every time I spoke in front of the camera it was easy to imagine someone was on the other side and forget I was alone. Ten years passed before I realized there were more people. Penny is my favorite, although she was aggressive I wanted to be with her all the time."  
"You never felt angry?" Jones asked.  
"I'd rather stay positive and focus on a way back. It was easier to forget about problems when you have a busy mind. But now that you say it, I must kill Gyro. Because of him, I was chewing black licorice gum for ten years."   
"We'll have to work on those homicidal instincts."  
"Anyone would react the same way if they had to chew black licorice gum for more than ten years."  
The session lasted a little over an hour, and while Della felt they hadn't made much progress, she promised to return. Ever since he had returned from the moon, she had tried to be strong. Being in therapy let her know that her stay had affected her and that it was okay to be just a little paw at times.  
The first thing Donald did as soon as he got to the boat house was to call his friends to let him know of his visit. He left the next day, when his nephews asked him why he was leaving, he had said that he got a job as a messenger in a hammock factory. Neither asked any questions and that made him feel guilty. He had said he hated lies and had lied to them so many times to cover his missions with the Agency.  
The next day, too early for Donald's liking, he had to report to Gizmo's lab and pick up the envelope he was to deliver to Agent B-Berry.  
"I don't think it will cause you any problems, but if it happens, you just have to present this document." Gizmo handed him a paper envelope without any decoration or distinctive.  
"Is there a tool for my mission?"  
"Not much, we don't want you to attract too much attention. I'll give you some explosive peppermint gum, a cell phone with a built-in stun beam. You will also have the fortune to try my new weapon, a pistol that launches electric bugs. It is made of plastic so they will not notice it at the airport and if it gives you problems you can say that it is a toy, you just have to place it in incognito mode and it will shoot bubbles. I am working on other munitions so I will need a detailed report on what it does."  
"I'll do that."   
Donald spent several minutes analyzing the gun Gizmo had handed him. He spun it around a couple of times and made a feint to shoot. It was light so he was sure he would have no problem using it. He thanked his partner for the tools and withdrew knowing that even though he had time, it was better not to trust himself.  
The plane trip was smooth and without any complications. Donald took the opportunity to sleep throughout the tour. He also took the opportunity to eat something before arriving. The stewardess had told him that he could eat as much as he wanted at no additional cost and he took the opportunity. He also bought a magazine to read on the trip, which he never even opened.  
It was when he got to Bahia that he had the first problem. A kind man, apparently at least, approached him and pretended to stumble. He would have lost the envelope that the Agency had commissioned him to take care of had it not been for the fact that he had kept it in the double bottom of his hat and not in his pocket as the man who approached it had thought.  
When Double Duck realized the trap he was far away. He ran after him, but it was too late to do anything. At that moment he congratulated himself for not having worn the Agency uniform. He had decided to wear his casual clothes so that Panchito and José would locate him more easily, but at that moment he felt that his hat could be very useful to hide the Agency envelope.  
Spotting his friends was easy. Despite the number of people at the airport, it was easy to find the two Knights. José was sitting on Panchito's shoulders and he was carrying a fairly luminous sign with a message for him written in lights.  
"Hola, Donal!"  
"Olá, Donaldo!"  
Panchito was the first to greet him. He had run within reach as soon as he knew that José was safe on the ground and had received him with one of his effusive handshakes and hugs. José, although enthusiastic, was less energetic than his friend.  
" And the childrens?"   
"I came alone, now that Della is back I want to focus more on myself."  
It wasn't entirely a lie. While he would never cease to be a part of his nephews' lives, he was considering giving them a space and believed that he should focus on other things like finding a job or returning to his old location. He had even considered coming out of retirement as a Duck Avenger. Being a secret agent he hadn't had much time to miss his old life and without One he felt it wasn't the same.  
"Is Della back?" Panchito and José asked in unison. It was at that moment that Donald was aware that they were not aware of his sister's return.  
Fethry and Gladstone didn't know either until they met again on that deserted island. They also hadn't found out that he had been absent for over a month and that made him upset. Just being reminded of how terrible he looked by his cousin Gladstone didn't make him feel any better, on the contrary. His annoyance was so great that he didn't mind taking one of Della's plane pieces and using them to cut off his beard and hair.  
He decided to tell them everything he knew, omitting anything that might reveal their secret identities. They listened to him carefully and, although he tried to be impartial, he could see that various parts of his story had made them angry.  
"Go to my house!" José commented excitedly. "Panchito is also staying, but there is enough room for the three of them."   
"Go ahead, I have to deliver a package first."  
"We can accompany you."  
Donald knew his friends were being nice, but he preferred not to involve them in DoubleDuck business. They had already tried to steal her envelope and she had a feeling that using them they would try again they wouldn't be so kind. But he didn't know how to tell his friends without being rude or suspicious.  
The idea came to him soon after. He told himself that he would not tell them anything and that he would lose them as soon as he got the chance. Brazil was a big country and it was easy to get lost on the subway.  
"I have to go to the Paz de Azúcar Mountain."  
It wasn't a lie. Shortly before arriving in Brazil, he had written a message to his partner so that they could meet in that area. Being a tourist place, it was easy to camouflage among civilians and detect abnormal behavior.  
"That brings back memories," José commented nostalgically.  
Panchito and José accompanied him to the subway. Donald had no problem walking away, he just had to step into the crowd and be carried away by it. When they reached the top of the Paz de Azúcar mountain, he was wearing a pair of shoes and had lost his friends. The only thing that kept him from losing his hat and the envelope inside it was the fact that he had held it tight the entire time.  
Donald placed the magazine he had bought under a stone. It hurt to get rid of some comics that he couldn't read, but he had noticed that he was being followed and felt he had no choice. He called B-Black and pretended not to have seen anything.  
"You realized?" Asked the agent.  
"Yes, that's why I left you a special package under the rock where we lost our hats." I'll stay at a friend's house and then go to a concert.  
"Good thinking, DD," B-Black told him, "I suspect information about your trip has been leaked and that they must be watching certain places." Try to call me only in case of emergency, I will find other ways to contact you.  
DoubleDuck hung up the call.  
"What a scare you gave us!"  
Donald turned around when he heard Panchito. He and his friends were concerned and he understood why. He had parted ways with them shortly after the journey began. He was surprised, however, and followed them after taking one last look at the envelope he had hidden.  
His ticket had no return date so the only thing he was worried about was his family. He called home and was very surprised when Louie answered. He used to let him or his brothers answer the phone, however this time he felt a bit affected.  
"Do you really have to stay longer?" He heard Louie and knew from his voice that he didn't like the idea.  
That made him feel guilty. While he was happy to have made the passes with Scrooge and with Della's return, there was a part of him that wished for things to go back to what they were before, when it was just him and the kids against the world. There were times when he felt like they didn't need him, and even though it was selfish, it was something that hurt him.  
"There was a little delay and I have to wait until José's next concert. Do you want me to bring you something from Brazil? You may not believe it, but I will get paid well for this job."   
"They say that in Brazil there are many diamonds."   
"I will ask Panchito and José if they will accompany me to find some. The last time we were miners, we found a mine."   
"Seriously?" Louie asked a little unsure.  
"You just have to search the mines of Ophir and you will see the names of the Three Knights." Although Donald pretended to be offended, he knew that since Donald it was easy for him to estimate his abilities, it was something that even happened to him as Doubleduck on some occasions" Another thing that you would like me to take you? I don't promise that I can find diamonds. You can ask your brothers if they want any souvenirs."  
Donald and Louie continued talking for a long time more. The younger duck told him about the new adventure he had gone on with Scrooge, and Donald listened in wonder.  
A part of him hoped that his nephews would get bored with the adventures, but he was beginning to believe that they would not. He told himself that he had to accept that this was in his blood and that no matter how hard he tried, he could not suppress said adventurous spirit. His ancestors did great feats, he knew many of these from the time he lived in McDuck Castle and they had relatives willing to teach them everything they knew.  
José suggested a walk through Brazil. Although Panchito knew Rio de Janeiro, Donald did not and the parrot considered that it was a problem that should be solved urgently.  
"There are many places we can visit and must see. The food, the beaches, the monuments, the women. I assure you that you will want to stay here forever. Make no plans for tonight I have already taken care of that and I assure you that you will love them."   
" What is it?"  
" A surprise."  
Donald headed to José's house. It was not particularly large, but it was large enough to live quietly. It was also pretty and you could feel a homely atmosphere. It was not next to the sea, but it was close by so it could be visited at any time.  
"What do you think of my humble home?" Asked José proudly.  
"Its beautiful."   
"I've been trying to convince my landlord to sell us the property, I'm sure he'll give in at any moment."  
"Good luck with that, although I don't think you need it."  
"I know, I'm about to get him to give in."  
"That's because he likes you," Panchito commented, and Donald had the impression that he was jealous.  
"I don't blame him," José replied before turning to Donald. "I hope you don't mind sharing a room with us, but we haven't finished fixing the other rooms yet, we had certain setbacks."   
"The moonvasion?"  
"No, Mr. Martinez," Panchito replied somewhat embarrassed, "he's a good horse, but let's say he's easily scared."  
Donald didn't ask any more questions, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. It didn't bother him to share a room with his friends, they used to do it when they were in college and even shared a bed during the many sleepless nights.  
The surprise José had talked about was a visit to the beach. That day, like every last Sunday of the month, a small improvised carnival was organized in which various local bands would gather to sing, dance, and share some food with loved ones.  
"Let's go!" José took them by the hand and led them to the place where one of the bands was located. "There is nothing like parties in Bahia!"  
"For now, I'll make me believe you," Panchito commented, although there were no bad intentions in his words, it was evident that he preferred Mexican parties.  
Donald was fascinated by watching the dancers dance. They seemed beautiful to him and their movements were impressive. For several minutes he was unable to look away and only did so when José placed a hat on him and Panchito with an uncountable number of colored ribbons.  
"I know the director of the band and he allowed us to join."  
"We have no instruments."  
"Let your good friend José take care of that."  
José took them to the place where the director was, who was more than happy to see José and glad at the idea of letting them participate.  
"There is always room for someone else, especially if they are friends of my good friend Zé."   
Donald had some bongos. I didn't have much experience with these, but there weren't many instruments available. He and Panchito followed José to the place where the band was located and they soon joined in and were well received by them.  
The Caballeros had no problem joining the band even though they hadn't attended any of the rehearsals. The songs they performed were quite popular in Brazil and José was more than happy to show them to his friends and have them learn to play them.  
They paraded down the beach and played until after midnight. It wasn't until that moment that Donald realized how tired he was. He had been so amused that he had not noticed the passage of time or the distance traveled.  
"I have one more surprise," added José proud of himself, "sandwiches for the musicians and a fire pit to pass the time."  
José started running, he did it as soon as he finished speaking. Panchito followed him and Donald waited a bit. The two of them used to be full of energy and not even participating in an impromptu carnival could change on that.  
"I didn't know you had musical abilities."  
Donald turned around when he heard those words. He did not need to do it to know who it was who had spoken to him because that voice was unmistakable.  
"I am a duck of many talents."  
"I'm eager to find out," Arianna told him in a tone of voice that was flirtatious, though he quickly dismissed that idea and told himself it was just Kay K doing one of her jokes.  
"I'm glad to see you."   
"I didn't expect to see you around here, DD, aka Fauntleroy." Arianna laughed as she said her words, it was her revenge for the incident with her name.  
Although it was true that he had not revealed it to any of his companions, that did not make his desire for revenge any less. He knew her name and that seemed enough.  
"You can call me Donald, it's my first name."  
"It's good to see you again," Josephine told her with a friendly smile, Abel was next to her. "Fauntleroy is a nice name."   
One that I can hardly pronounce, Donald thought with some bitterness.  
Seeing them made Donald rule out that Kay was on a mission. Being on a mission shouldn't have fun, but since he had to wait to be able to communicate with B-Black, he didn't think the Agency would be bothered by the change of plans, on the contrary, he believed it was a good way to mislead his pursuers.  
"Donald! Apurate!"   
It was Panchito who called him.  
"Voy en unos minu..."  
Donald hadn't finished speaking when his friends joined him. Their gaze fell on Kay K and Donald didn't need words to know what they were thinking. The way they laughed said it all.  
"Abel, Arianna, Josephine, they are my friends Panchito and José. Panchito, José, they are Abel, Josephine and Arianna."   
Donald couldn't help but smile as he pronounced his partner's name, his smile increased when he saw her reaction.  
"Nice meeting you." José kissed Arianna and Josephine's hands.  
Abel did not have time to bother or notice it as he was greeted by Panchito who used one of his energetic handshakes. It took him several seconds to recover from the dizziness once it was over.  
"Do you want to join the campfire?" José invited them ", we will all bring something to share and it will be great fun."   
"You go, Arianna," Josephine faked a yawn, "your father and I want to rest. You are young, go have fun."   
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Abel told them.  
Donald felt a bit confused when he saw the elbow that Josephine gave her husband and even more so when he saw Arianna's reaction, however he decided that the best thing would be to stay with the doubt.  
The Three Caballeros and Arianna were able to find an open decanter. This was about to close so they had to hurry to do their shopping. Between the four of them they organized to buy several bottles of beer, other alcoholic beverages and many snacks, this being what they bought the most. They would have forgotten about the ice had it not been for Arianna who came back for him at the last moment.  
The fire was not lit when they arrived. José was quick to find his friends in the band and it didn't take long to find them. They had improvised a barbecue and were more than happy to include them.  
"They can eat and drink as much as they want," said Miguel, the director of the band, when he saw what the newcomers brought, he added, "in fact it seems that we will have a lot of food left over. I don't think I can say the same about liquor."   
"How did you meet?" Asked José.  
Donald wasn't ready to answer that question. He hadn't thought of a story for both of them and he knew he couldn't tell the truth without involving the Agency or feeling like he was lying. Kay had told him that she had helped him on his first mission, but he couldn't remember seeing her in those three days.  
"It was when I hired your services to make a necklace for Daisy."  
"We've been good friends ever since," Arianna added, she seemed amused by her response and Donald had a suspicion of her motive.  
Donald tried to light the fire, but failed. Several of the members of the band and the three Caballeros were dedicated to picking up some garbage to be able to feed the little spark they had. They tried different things and although the flame grew a little it did not take long to go out almost completely.  
In the end it was Arianna who solved the problem. She took one of the Gizmo tools she carried with her and without anyone seeing it he made the fire the ideal size for the evening.  
Donald took a seat next to Arianna and handed her a beer and snacks. She only accepted a few marshmallows which she began to roast. She had brought some vodka so she didn't stay without a drink. Panchito and José were soon joining, both carrying more food and more drinks.  
They talked for hours about everything and nothing at the same time. Despite the fact that Panchito and José did not know Arianna, they had no problem in starting a conversation with her or with the members of the band who did not delay in joining. Brazil and music was one of the favorite subjects.  
"How do they eat so much?" Arianna asked between curious and a little disgusted.  
"Years of practice," replied Panchito proudly before offering him some balls of cheese.  
"No thanks, I'm eating marshmallows and that's already more than my diet can tolerate."  
"Marshmallows are light, they shouldn't make you fat."  
"But they do, too much sugar."  
José was the liveliest of all. Most, if not all, knew him and were more than happy to have him around.  
Then the bad jokes started. Miguel was the winner. Most, if not all, agreed that they were the worst, but still many laughed at these.  
Donald was speechless when Lola, one of the band members, kissed Panchito, José, and Arianna. Everything made sense when she kissed him and she could see that she had taken too much. He decided to keep an eye on her, aware that anyone could take advantage of her in her condition.  
He saw her kiss all the members of the band and even try with those who passed near the place and members of other bands.  
"My house is not far away," Miguel told them as he handed her the keys to his house. It is customary for them to stay at my house after these presentations.  
Miguel gave them his home address. Fortunately it was not too far from the beach and, although it was not large, it was spacious enough to shelter the entire band.  
Donald and Arianna took her to the living room of Miguel's house, a place that was prepared to serve as a bedroom for the members of the band. They both had to be very careful to avoid being kissed or caressed. Lola fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed so they decided to go back to the fire and have a little more fun before retiring.  
"Are you on a mission?" Arianna asked him.  
"I hope the others don't overdo it," Donald complained.  
"Same here, I've had fun with them, but I don't think it's the same if they're really drunk."  
Things had gotten a bit out of hand during the time they were apart.  
Many of the musicians began to show signs of drunkenness. José was holding Miguel's hair while he was vomiting and Panchito had to use one of his pistols because someone outside the fire had approached with the intention of taking one of the dancers.  
Contrary to what they expected, Miguel was not that drunk so he was able to help take care of the musicians. The three Knights also helped. They were taken to the hotel and accompanied while they avoided to avoid any kind of calamity. More than one began to cry and tell them secrets that, they were sure, no one should listen.  
Finding René was one of the most difficult things. After several minutes of searching, Donald began to worry that he was drowned, lost, or kidnapped. Nothing of what he imagined happened. The parrot was perched on the top of a palm tree, drinking and singing not as out of tune as he would have expected.  
Donald climbed the palm tree and made sure to hold the musician tightly on his back. When he felt something wet, he told himself it was a bad idea, but he didn't want to stop to check, he preferred not to know.  
"You came for me, Zé," René told him, his broken voice making it difficult to understand what he was saying.  
Donald thought that if René behaved better with his friend, he would not be the one to get him out of his illusion. When she began to kiss him, she told herself that nothing he did could be worse than that.  
"I'm a friend of Zé's."  
"I should have imagined it. Zé loves that Panchito."   
René started crying and all Donald could do was drag him to Miguel's house. Unfortunately for him, René not only did not fall asleep, but also started kicking in the middle of the way and did not stop even when he was placed in the living room, one of the few places where there was space left and several mattresses had been placed in soil.  
"You can do whatever you want with my body, but my heart will always belong to Zé!"  
"What? I'm not going to do anything to you."   
"Why? Is that I'm ugly or I'm not good enough" . René began to cry louder than before.  
"You're beautiful," Donald told her in an attempt to make him feel better. Anyone could fall in love with you and would be very lucky if it is reciprocated.  
"Then, kiss me, make me yours and erase any thoughts I may have for Zé. Get so deep inside me that I can't think of anything else ... or walk for a long time."   
René threw himself into Donald's arms and the duck could not understand the drastic change in the parrot. Shortly before, she had proclaimed her love to José, but at that moment she wanted to do more than just kiss him. The parrot fell asleep after struggling for a while.  
Donald carried it to safety. He wasn't sure if he had woken up or not on the way, but the damp feeling on his back made him think that he had.  
Donald came out for some fresh air when he ran into B-Black. It was obvious from his appearance that he had left a party.

"What's on your back?"  
"Believe me when I tell you that neither you nor I want to know."  
Donald looked around to see if there was anyone else nearby. He found one of the band members and had the feeling of having seen him before, on the Paz de Azúcar mountain. He did not know if it was his paranoia, but he was certain that he was the one who tried to rob him when he arrived in Brazil. He decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything.  
"I noticed it too," B-Black told him, "you should hurry to take a bath."  
Donald took off his hat and used it to fan himself. He intended to forget about it so that B-Black could access the envelope Gizmo had given him. He picked up the phone the Agency scientists had given him and, trusting that he would not be intercepted, wrote his plan.  
B-Black did not show any kind of emotion that could give away the message received, but wrote him a reply in which he agreed to continue with his plan. Donald put his hat aside and they continued talking for a while. They both talked about Brazil and what could be done in that place until Panchito and José arrived.  
That day Donald made two calls. One to the Agency to tell him that he would stay in Brazil longer in order to mislead those who were following him, and another to his family to prevent them from worrying about him. He thought about calling Kay K to confirm that she was okay, but just texted her.


End file.
